Air conditioner finder by room size
Five questions in a minute — and you get three suitable models with the installed price: value, optimal and premium.
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Where
How cooling capacity is calculated
Capacity is not a guess: it follows the floor area and whatever heats that area. The rule of thumb for Chișinău is 1 kW of cooling per 10 m² with ceilings up to 3 metres. A margin is then added for sun, floor level and equipment.
| Room area | Cooling capacity | Marking |
|---|---|---|
| up to 20 m² | 2.1–2.6 kW | 07 (7,000 BTU) |
| 20–27 m² | 2.6–3.5 kW | 09 (9,000 BTU) |
| 27–35 m² | 3.5–5.3 kW | 12 (12,000 BTU) |
| 35–50 m² | 5.3–7.0 kW | 18 (18,000 BTU) |
| 50–70 m² | 7.0–9.0 kW | 24 (24,000 BTU) |
What adds to the load
- South- and west-facing or floor-to-ceiling windows — add 15–20 %.
- Top floor under a hot roof — another 10–15 %.
- Kitchen, server room, many people or appliances — calculated separately by heat gain.
- A room with a balcony door kept open — no capacity will fix that; close the loop first.
What if I take a much larger capacity than needed?
An oversized unit reaches the set temperature fast and shuts off. Short cycles mean swings, poorer dehumidification and extra compressor wear. A 10–20 % margin is right, not double.
Can one unit cool two rooms?
Only with a wide opening between them and a small second room. Cold air barely travels through a doorway: two separate rooms need a multi-split or two units.
Is an inverter essential?
For a room where the unit runs for hours, yes: it uses less power and holds the temperature steadier. For occasional use the price difference pays back more slowly.
Podcast · 1 hour
How to choose capacity — advice from our director
- Sizing an AC: it's not just square metresSizing depends not only on floor area but also on ceiling height (volume), the number of windows, sun exposure and floor-to-ceiling glazing — all sources of heat gain. That's why it's worth getting a specialist in before buying: people often end up with a unit that's too powerful or too weak.
- One unit in the hallway for the whole flat — why notOne unit for a whole flat only works in an open-plan studio. In a flat with separate rooms there's no air circulation: cold air won't reach a hot, sunny room, so the hallway turns into a “freezer” while the bedroom stays hot. It's better to put a unit in each room, even if you do it gradually.
- 9,000, 12,000 or 18,000 BTU: choosing the capacity9,000 BTU is about 2.5 kW of cooling output (while drawing around 800 W), which on average covers roughly 25 m² — more than enough for a 20 m² bedroom. For a kitchen Egor recommends at least 12,000 BTU regardless of size, because of the heat from cooking and appliances.
Егор Мартынов, Director, Arctica Service. The podcast is in Russian. Full podcast and transcript →